The Boeing Company

Branko Lakic

Jerald A Hull

Richard R Rosman

Christopher A Greer

Kenneth D Cominsky

Craig Allen Charlton

Justin H Pratt

Jeffrey H Hunt

Jonathan Blake Vance

Bernhard Dopker

Mark Ronald McLaughlin

David H Leibov

Nicholas A Norman

Steven Edward Pearson

Steven D Ingham

Douglas G Marciniak

Monica Tatar

Rich L Stark

Jared Marvin Pasik

Daniel D Williams

A manufacturing system includes a holding structure and actuators that are coupled to the holding structure. The actuators support the component and apply displacements to select locations of the component to change a current shape of the component toward a target shape of the component. The system includes a metrology system that takes measurements of the current shape of the component. The system includes a controller that utilizes a closed feedback loop to determine a deviation between the current shape and the target shape based on the measurements and to provide commands that iteratively change the displacements in response to changes in the current shape until the current shape is within a tolerance of the target shape.

Manufacturing systems and methods for shaping and assembling flexible structures

A vehicle including a fuselage, and a fuel tank within the fuselage. The fuel tank includes one or more sealant layers disposed over one or more internal surfaces of the fuel tank. In at least one embodiment, a release agent is disposed between the one or more internal surfaces and the one or more sealant layers.

Fuel tank systems and methods for vehicles

A bore metrology method includes aligning a first structure, which defines an initial bore, with a second structure, which defines a pilot bore, such that the initial bore is partially obstructed by the second structure and the pilot bore is superimposed with the initial bore. The initial bore includes a bore locating target assembly within the initial bore, the bore locating target assembly having an optical target, the optical target having a reflector and an optical absorbing feature, the optical absorbing feature defining a pattern on the optical target. At least a portion of the reflector and at least a portion of the pattern are visible through the pilot bore. The method further includes imaging the portion of the reflector and the portion of the pattern that are visible through the pilot bore. The method further includes determining a centerline of the initial bore based on the imaging.

Bore metrology methods and systems, and bore locating target assemblies for use therewith

A pressure deck system for a fuselage of an aircraft. The pressure deck system comprises a first sloping outboard pressure panel, a first longitudinal stiffener connected to the first sloping outboard pressure panel, a second sloping outboard pressure panel opposite the first sloping outboard pressure panel, a second longitudinal stiffener connected to the second sloping outboard pressure panel, pressure panels between the first sloping outboard pressure panel and the second sloping outboard pressure panel and forming the an upper barrier of a wheel well, longitudinal beams connected to the pressure panels and supporting a cabin floor of the fuselage, and a sloping pressure deck connecting a number of these components to the rear spar of the center wing box. A waterline of the pressure deck system is de-coupled from a side-of-body waterline in the fuselage.

Variable waterline for horizontal pressure deck

Fuselage sections having tapered wing rib interfaces are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a rib associated with a fuselage section, and a wing interface surface defined by the rib, where the wing interface surface is tapered relative to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage section from an aft end of the fuselage section to a fore end of the fuselage section.

Fuselage sections having tapered wing rib interfaces

A method includes making a first structure with a first plurality of pre-drilled holes at pre-defined locations, making a second structure with a second plurality of pre-drilled holes at pre-defined locations, making a third structure without pre-drilled full-size holes, measuring the location and orientation of the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structures, determining the location of a third plurality of holes to be drilled in the third structure that correspond to first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes measured in the first and second structures, creating a program to drill the third plurality of holes in the third structure that align with the measured location and orientation of the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structures based on the measure location and orientation of the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structure, drilling the third plurality of holes in the third structure based on the program, positioning the third structure on the first and second structures such that the third plurality of holes in the third structure are aligned with the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structures, and inserting fasteners through the third plurality of holes and the first and second plurality of predrilled holes that are aligned with the third plurality of holes to secure the second structure to the first structure using the third structure.

Method and system for joining structures

A method of assembling thin-walled curvilinear components to a bulkhead offers a cost-effective, time-saving process of manufacture. Each component includes a faying edge configured to be aligned with respect to the other. A first component and the bulkhead are preassembled. In one approach, a second component is clamped about the bulkhead for a preassembly measurement of radial gaps between the faying edge of the second component and the bulkhead. An average value of the radial gaps is calculated, and a specific shim thickness corresponding to the calculated average gap value is selected. The second component is unclamped, and a plurality of shims, each having the selected thickness corresponding to the calculated average gap value, is applied about the bulkhead. The second component is then permanently secured to the bulkhead over the shims, with respective faying edges of the first and second components fixed in radial alignment with each other.

Bulkhead shims for curvilinear components

An aircraft comprises a fuselage, a wing assembly, and a pinned fuselage-to-wing connection including a forward pin joint, an aft pin joint, and intermediate pin joints between the forward and aft pin joints. The intermediate pin joints have pins aligned in an axial direction and are configured to slide along the axial direction without transferring axial loads from the wing assembly to the fuselage. At least one of the forward and aft pin joints is constrained to prevent translation along the axial direction.

Pinned fuselage-to-wing connection

An aircraft includes a fuselage, a wing, and a decoupled joint interconnecting the fuselage and the wing. The decoupled joint can be an active suspension system. A method of adapting an aircraft to attenuate forces between a main wing and a fuselage thereof includes providing a plurality of sensors upon the aircraft, configured for sensing motion and/or mechanical stress of the main wing and/or the fuselage and producing signals indicative thereof, and providing a plurality of active suspension elements interconnecting the wing and the fuselage, the active suspension elements being configured to move at least in response to the signals to adjust a position of the wing with respect to the fuselage.

Aircraft wing-to-fuselage joint with active suspension and method

A fuselage section may include a structural member and a frame member having a stub frame extending over the structural member. The stub frame may have a web. The fuselage section may include an intercostal extending from a terminal end of the stub frame and having an end flange. The fuselage section may additionally include an adjustable splice fitting having a web, a lower flange, and an end flange being mountable in faying contact with respective ones of the stub frame web, the structural member, and the intercostal end flange.

Growing community of inventors

Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Branko Lakic